10 Fun Facts About Hummingbirds

There’s a reason why people get so excited whenever they spot a hummingbird, because if you blink, you might miss them. These tiniest of birds have developed some of the most unique abilities, from hovering in midair to eating with highly evolved tongues. Click through for 10 fun facts about these interesting birds.

In order to stay as light as possible, hummingbirds have evolved underdeveloped legs and feet that don’t allow them to walk or hop like other birds. They can perch and shuffle awkwardly from side to side, but that’s about it.

They may be the smallest birds in the world, but hummingbirds (especially males) can be aggressive when they’re protecting their territory. They have been known to attack much larger birds, like crows and hawks, by slamming into them and poking with their sharp beaks and claws.

We all know hummingbirds beat their wings quickly, but did you know they can beat up to 200 times per second? It depends on the direction and air conditions, but this rapid flapping is what allows the birds to have such mobility. When they’re hovering, however, they flap their wings between 12-90 times per second.

It takes a lot of energy for a hummingbird to flap its wings at such a rapid speed. To maintain the energy needed, the birds consume half their weight in sugar daily. The average hummingbird feeds every 10 minutes or so.

Not only do hummingbirds flap their wings quickly, they also feed at an alarmingly fast rate. They feed by lapping up nectar with their long tongues. Long grooves on both sides of the tongue help draw the nectar into the bird’s mouth. They can move their long tongues up to 12 times a second.

There are 356 species of hummingbird in the world, and only 18 found in North America. Hummingbirds can be found only in North, Central and South America, and are non-existent in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Though there are several distinct hummingbird species — calliope, black-chinned, Anna’s, etc. — they have the ability to breed together and create hybrid species. This can make identifying hummingbirds difficult.